October 18, 2013 9:44AM

A photo of a wounded Army Ranger saluting his commander from a
hospital bed in Afghanistan has become a symbol of fortitude,
sacrifice and honor.

The photo of Army Cpl. Joshua Hargis, with the 3rd Ranger
Battalion, went viral after his wife, Taylor, posted it on her
Facebook page. It immediately struck a patriotic chord with people
across the nation.

“It moves me to tears,” Taylor said during an interview at
Brooke Army Medical Center here, where her husband is now
recovering. “I mean I think that’s why it’s gotten so much
attention. It’s moving people. It’s just an amazing thing he’s done
and that he did it.”

Hargis was injured Oct. 6 when a suicide bomb and several
improvised explosive devices detonated during an operation
southwest of Kandahar. Four of his fellow soldiers were killed, and
several others were injured.

While Hargis was in a hospital in Afghanistan, his commander
presented him with a bedside Purple Heart Medal. Those present
thought Hargis was unconscious throughout the visit, but then saw
his right arm stir in an effort to render the customary military
salute.

“Despite his wounds, wrappings, tubes and pain, Josh fought the
doctor who was trying to restrain his right arm and rendered the
most beautiful salute any person in that room had ever seen,” his
commander recalled in a letter to Hargis’ wife.

“Grown men began to weep,” he wrote, “and we were speechless at
a gesture that speaks volumes about Josh’s courage and
character.”

Filled with pride, Taylor posted the commander’s letter and
photo to her Facebook page. “That’s my husband,” she said. “He’s an
amazing man.”

The photo since has been circulated on websites and in papers
across the nation. The Guardian Valor website dubbed the photo the
“.”

Hargis’ commander called it “the single greatest event I have
witnessed in my 10 years in the Army.”

Taylor, who is pregnant, said she’s moved by the photo’s
popularity, but is most grateful to have her husband home. “The
world should know what is happening overseas,” she wrote on her
Facebook site. “The world should know what true heroes and warriors
are.”

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